Upcycled gets down

The world is waking up to the wasteful practices of the fashion industry and wondering what can be done about it on a street level. Well, the best thing you can do is to commit to not buying as much “new” stuff as possible. While a complete shift in shopping methods might not be for everyone, we can all consider the concept of thrift on some level. That might take the form of something as simple as using old T-shirts for cleaning the bathroom. If you’d rather go a bit more bold then pop in to your nearest charity shop. There are bargains galore to be had there, all raising your green credentials while going easy on the pocket. But what if your style consciousness extends a bit further than acquiring another T-shirt that looks just like the dozens you already have? Well, do not despair because upcycled fashion is hitting the streets in a big way. The Refashion concept is nothing new though. Think of wartime rationing when creativity with what you had was the way forward for many a style guru. We have not lost this skill and this time round it is bound up in a feel good factor you can truly invest in. But what is it? Basically the idea is to take garments or fabrics that already exist and turn them into something new and unique. This can take the form of combining two or more garments into something similar to remove or hide damage or stains. On the other hand it can be a full-blown recreation bearing little or no resemblance to the original. Starting points can be e-Bay or charity shop bargains or just waste fabric in the shape of old curtains or excess from projects.